Más Is Always Better as Caribbean Fest Lights Up the Stage

Sydney Hunte and Senmeri Angaza model for Barbados for the first section of the fashion show, to the song “Ducking” by Fadda Fox. *Photo: Matthew Li*

By AMELIA CRAWFORD

with contributions by Camille Lamour

The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed, excited for what was to come. Within an instant, the auditorium went from complete silence to ear piercing screams of excitement as commissioners Sydney Hunte ‘27, Shirel Mardechaiev ‘27, and Willine Saget ‘26 entered to introduce one of the school’s most anticipated productions yet: Caribbean Fest.

The fourth annual event took place on Tuesday, March 17 in the Howard E. Greenberg Auditorium, representing over 20 countries from the West Indies to Central America.

Playing “Manteca” by Dizzy Gillespie, the Jazz Club, led by Mr. Todd Hayen, got the festival started. As the curtains rolled open, principal Robert Quinlan appeared in a flashy red suit and Trinidad and Tobago t-shirt, with a handful of colorful flags representing a multitude of countries.

Commissioners gave warm welcomes while the crowd responded with cheers. “It’s very beautiful, sometimes chaotic, but through representing my culture, it’s just such a beautiful thing that I get to do,” Hunte said.

Once the commissioners disappeared backstage, dancers flooded the stage and performed a short but electrifying opening dance to get the audience riled up. “Having to teach and place people and stay on everyone’s good side while also doing what you need to do, it was hard,” first-time choreographer Semeira Seepersaud ‘26 said, but the team’s efforts clearly paid off.

The first round of the fashion show followed, including Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, Cuba, Costa Rica, and more. Models took turns strutting across the stage and striking their best poses while music from each country played.

Ashley Fortune ‘28, a model for Guyana, said that being in the room with her fellow models was empowering and helped boost her confidence. “I’ve made a lot of new friends and connections that I feel will last me a long time,” she said.

Fortune praised faculty advisor Ms. Princessa Dominique for her character and her contributions to the festival. “It is wonderful seeing how the new people can still add to a show that’s already great and be able to make it even better,” Ms. Dominique said, also highlighting the work of fellow advisors Ms. Tyniqua Hinton, Ms. Nicole Hird, and Mr. Stanley Kong.

It took some work before the modeling became this crisp. Modeling director Maegan Dieudonne ‘26 said her job was especially stressful for the first few weeks. However, members pulled through towards the end.

As the last model exited the stage, the curtains closed to allow dancers to get into place. Trinidad and Tobago came first, featuring “Too Own Way” by Voice and “Stage Gone Bad” by Kes and Iwer George. Then Hunte reappeared on stage, announcing that there would be a surprise dance by the boys, and it did not disappoint, with hip movements, synchronized poses, and a freestyle circle that allowed each dancer to showcase their moves.

“Once you get on that stage and everybody screams your name, it’s like an experience you could never feel again,” said Elijah Prinston ‘26, one of the dancers.

“During full run-throughs in the auditorium, it was funny to hear everyone hype me and the boys up while we danced,” said Maliya Young ‘28, the only girl featured in the boys’ dance. “It sparked our energy to go even more full out.”

Following this were dances from Grenada, Guyana, and Barbados, as well as a singalong by Olivia Le Seur ‘27 to “Pon De Replay” by Rihanna. All dances had a special poem catered to each country read aloud beforehand, and throughout the event, stage direction Madiha Noor Ashgar ‘27 and the rest of the crew had the room shining a different color for each country’s flag.

Woven in between the dancing and modeling was a carefully crafted story, “More Than Más,” directed by Le Seur and starring Jeremyah Kitt ‘26, Ashlie Francois ‘27, Elijah Prinston ‘26, and other actors. The story was about a grandmother who initially opposes Caribbean festivals, as she believes they are a form of devil worship, and discourages her grandchildren from attending them. However, her perspective shifts after she is invited to see Carnival costumes in the making, ultimately allowing her to see the true beauty and cultural significance of the festival.

Victoria Ward ‘28 joined Caribbean Fest after seeing the show for the first time in her freshman year. “I was in awe of how amazing and high energy everyone was,” she said. “I told myself that I need to be a part of this fest and every fest next year. And that’s what I did.”

Being director is taxing, but for Le Seur, it also comes with many rewards. “It allowed me to express myself in theater and it gave me the opportunity to ensure that all of my actors also did their best for the show,” she said.

After a brief intermission, the show returned with the Jazz Club’s rendition of “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente, with dancers performing traditional Latin moves like the bachata and punta.

The next round of modeling featured the Dominican Republic, Panama, Jamaica, Haiti, and more.

Sophomore Vivienne Ward, a model for Panama, said the show really resonated with her. “I’m glad Midwood gives us the ability to celebrate [our background] and present it to others for them to learn about,” she said.

Dancers for Jamaica then filled both the stage and the aisles as “Kotch” by RDX and “Wah Yo Deh Pon” by Ayetian reverberated through the speakers.

Senior Jahnya Bedward, a choreographer, described the fest as “very fun, lighthearted, and positive.” “I like the dancing part, obviously, but then also how everyone is able to come together to share their cultures,” she said.

Aliyah Aguirre ‘28 brought the crowd to a momentary standstill as they basked in her rendition of “No Letting Go” by Wayne Wonder, a song about commitment to love. Audience members waved their phone flashlights in the air as freshman Jokebed Cadet played the piano in the background.

“The show was amazing,” audience member Amira John-Foster ‘28 said. “Seeing my culture represented on stage through diﬀerent forms like dance, acting, and music made the experience especially meaningful. It left me feeling proud to see those traditions and stories shared with such a wide audience.”

“Caribbean Fest was great,” Gimanni Bailey ‘28 said. “The dances were well orchestrated, modeling represented the countries enthusiastically, and the actors made the show feel like Broadway.”

Unfortunately, the evening of fun had to come to an end, but who said it couldn’t go out with a bang?

One last dance took place, getting the audience hyped once more while also leaving them with something to remember. If there was anything to take away from the show, it was that full energy was put out all the way until the end.

“No matter where you’re from, your ethnicity, religion, race, background, what makes Midwood so beautiful is the diversity of the school,” said Vivienne Ward. “If you want to celebrate and learn about other cultures, absolutely go for it!”